Another Time War

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quinn3_icon.gif ygraine2_icon.gif

Scene Title Another Time War
Synopsis Well, it's one theory for what on Earth might be going on. Robyn and Ygraine exchange news and concerns in the aftermath of the Night of Two Sylars.
Date March 17 2011

Hospital


The corridor has had the customary not-quite-successful efforts to make it seem calming and unthreatening and comfortable, though the overhead lighting and Spartan sterility make it impossible to forget that one is in a hospital - and that if one is up and about poking coffee and snack vending machines, then one is probably not here for anything other than worried, fretful waiting for news about someone else.

At present, the coffee machine's instructions are being peered at by a woman in a very slinky and largely backless dress - the wonderful dragon tattoo serving to identify her even to those unaccustomed to her blue-on black braid or elegant attire. One arm is still bound up in sturdy leather sling, though the close-to-the-shoulder silk gauntlet within conceals most of the bandaging around her upper arm. Bent over to examine the cryptic symbols and try to choose whether to risk 'normal' coffee or just go for the deluge of sweetness and caffeine that would be a cappuccino with extra sugar, Ygraine is currently largely unaware of her surroundings.

As is Quinn, really, eyes half lidded as she steps out of one of the rooms and starts down the hall. She's a bit tired, and her head hurts more than a little after the events preceeding this moment in the evening. Really, if someone wasn't tired, she'd be convinced it was because of an evolved ability or something. Rubbing her faace as she turns the corner nto the room with teh coffee and vending machines, Quinn doesn't even seem to notice Ygraine at first. At least not until she almost bumps into her, the Irishwoman blinking and backing away. She has her heels back on, only because it was demanded of her, so the step she takles back is a bit awkward. "Oh! Okay, good. you are okay… I wasn't sure after everythin' that happened who was and who wasn't," she remarks, looking up at the Briton. "Hello, by the by."

Ygraine tenses at the near-contact, remaining frozen in place for a moment - her wounded arm making her distinctly apprehensive of unexpected jolts and bumps. Then the voice breaks through, and she turns and attempts to move in for a one-armed hug, expression one of evident relief.

The hug is met with a careful one from Quinn, letting out a noticably releved sigh as she does. "Are you okay? I mean… compared t' how you were before everythin' went t' hell in a hand basket t'night?"

Ygraine lowers her head, lightly resting her cheek against Quinn's hair, breath ruffling warmly into it as she lets out a long, slow exhalation. "That's… the second time this year I've seen him. Going after someone. But two? Hah. That's… posing me all sorts of concerns. Never mind all else that was going on. Or the minor fact that I'm employed in part to try to protect Remi now. Got myself the job just in time for that. So glad I asked Jaiden to help out. Against most people I'm a rather good last line of defence. But against him?"

"Two… but I think one saved EIleen?" is whispered, low and barely loud enough for even Ygraine to hear. "I'm not even sure what was… goin' on with alla that. Why she was even there." A frown sits on Quinns face as she pats at Ygraine's hair. "I think you did as good a job helpin' Remi get away as you could've, all thigns considered. I'm amazed Jaiden an' I were able t' get him t' run off as it was. Guess he decided it wasn't worth it anymore? I dunno. I'm still kinda amazed I had the balls t' try an' attack Sylar like that…"

"Remi was also lashing out, and he'd got a lot of attention. There was some girl trying to grapple him, at the end", Ygraine murmurs, daring to press a little closer, as if drawing reassurance from Quinn's very presence.

"You know… one of the first things that came to me - once I was capable of thinking again - was a wave of relief that you weren't there. So I could focus on getting Remi out without feeling guilty about leaving you to fend for yourself. Then you not only show you're there, but earn yourself another bunch of roses."

"Is that what Lucille was doin'?" Quinn responds with a bit of a quicked eyebrow as she holds Ygraine close for a moment. "Eother way… for everythin' I've heard about him, I was suprised he just… kleft like that. COuntin' my blessings on it, though. An' hopin' he doesn't decided t' come for any a' us for that."

Scratching the back of her ehad, Quinn looks sheepishly at Ygraine. "You don't have t' get me any roses, you know. I'm just happy things turned out as well as they did." She pauses, looking back towards teh door. "I can't hang around long, though. I…. was there with Elaine. I dunno what happened, but somethin' messed with her hearing. She was deaf for a bit after Sylar left, an' she can only barely hear now…"

"If you thought I had to give them to you, I doubt you'd deserve them", Ygraine fondly informs Quinn, burgundy lips quirking into a fondly wry smile. Darting in to close the small distance between them, the half-hug still in place, she delivers a swift peck to the end of Quinn's nose. "Might I congratulate you upon how lovely you look tonight, Miss Quinn? But… yeah. The waiting isn't fun. Apparently, Remi's artery was nicked. And it's hard to completely trust the assurances that she'll be utterly fine…."

"Thanks," QUinn says quietly, tone appreciative. She hesitates a moment, before she leans up and kisses Ygraine on the cheek, smiling a bit. She does,however, wince a bit at the mention of Remi's state. "Shit, that's serious. I'm sure she will be fine, though. Might have t' be off her ffet for a bit if she loses too much blood, though. I know that's how it was for Eleine when she got shot…" Though it might be a bit hard to compare the two, there is still the potential for a lot of blod loss between them.

Ygraine's eyes closed for a few moments after that kiss, the woman holding position - and therefore also holding onto Quinn. "Mmmm. I recently learned a certain amount about being shot", Ygraine murmurs dryly. "Apparently, a stab wound is in many ways less problematic. It doesn't generate the shock-waves through surrounding tissue that a bullet does. Usually doesn't grab the flesh and tear in the same kind of way…. But… he stabbed her with some kind of bone spur. So how clean a wound it was…"

The Briton shudders gently. "Poor Graeme. It was his birthday. Did you know that? Makes my birthday 'celebration' look a positively delightful and glorious success. But… at least his ability means that he can cope with pain better than most. Just hope he knows enough about it he doesn't do himself any more damage…"

"HIs birthday? Christ, I'll have t' go see him. I don't… really know him, but that's a shame an' I feel like I should say somethin'…" Quinn's eyes close a bit and she lets out a long sigh. "I was wondering what that was he attacked her with. Feckin' scary. Though for all the shit I hear about Sylar… who the hell shows up at a party full a' Evolved folks, run by an Evolved woman, with DOEA agents about, an' trys t' stir things up? For all I hear about Sylar, that was pretty ffreakin' stupid.""

"He - they - seem to have been… covered by illusions", Ygraine murmurs, attempting to tighten her grip on Quinn once more, to deliver another one-armed squeeze. "I'm… I'm hoping that Remi might be able to tell us a bit more about what he, or they, were after. If she's up to it. But that won't be for a while yet…."

"As for Graeme? Remi apparently bullied him into coming along. Wasn't going to let him have a quiet night in for his birthday. He had to come out and celebrate. He's been perplexing the doctors a bit - his pain tolerance is insane - but it's still not exactly a good night for him. And he's going to be one-armed for at least as long as I will be, I think."

"Oh, shit, that's right - did you see what the fuck Eileen was doing? I don't even understand why she was here, much less how she got away." Quinn quirks her lips side to side, not bothering to pull away from Ygraine. "Well, good on her. You don't sit around on your birthday. It's just not right! You have t' go out an' do somethin'. Still.. shame the night went so horribly, knowing that." She lets out a sigh, and shakes her head. "We're all havin' problems with birthdays. You were in teh dome, Graeme got attacked by Sylar, an' I was stuck in Egypt three eyars ago with Magnes. What the hell is up with that?"

Glad to hold Quinn close, Ygraine takes the risk of resting her cheek against that dark hair once more. "She was there to warn Remi, apparently. I'm not sure exactly what was said - but she… under disguise, she approached Remi. Enthused in French about seeing her perform in Moscow. And told her that she had something urgent and important to tell her. In private. I suggested they pull away to the edge of the dance floor - so that Jaiden and myself could keep an eye on what was going on. Then… she was clearly telling Remi something surprising. Then someone invisible barged into me from behind, heading straight for Remi and the 'stranger' talking to her. That whacked my bad arm off Graeme, which didn't exactly leave me thinking too clearly, and I… reached out and attached him to my glass. That turned out, once he hit the deck, to be the first Sylar."

"Well… at least she was there to help. I wonder hwo she knew, though…" Quinn trails off, thoughtful for a moment before she shakes her head. "I don't know. This whole night went t' hell in a handbasket too quick. I really I have no idea what all was goin' on at any given moment at all still. I was just kind of acting on instinct… still, I guess things turned out as well as they possibly could have, given the situation, you know?"

"She wanted to protect one of the Sylars, it seemed. She tackled the woman who tried to arrest him. Who shot him, I think", Ygraine murmurs. "Which might be how she knew. I don't know. I've had all sort of crazy ideas about what was going on. The one who stabbed Remi and Graeme - that was the second Sylar. Were they working together? In competition for the same 'prize'? In opposition? I have no idea. But… I'm scared. I'm so glad that I recruited Jaiden to help me protect Remi, but… maybe I should add you to the bodyguard detail, eh?"

"Okay, stop." Quinn says, shaking her head. "Before any of that, there's somethin' way moer important that I want to know." She leans back a bit, gaze centering seriously on Ygraine. "Why the fuck wwere there two Sylars? I don't care what either of them were doing, besides being up t' no good. I want t' know why there's more than one of that psycho. An' why Eileen was apparently helpin' one of them."

Ygraine quirks a rueful smile. "That's one of the things I've been trying to figure out. The… there'd be an obvious explanation if the guy I… screwed up hadn't had the appearance he had. Eileen discovers that Sylar is coming for Remi. She recruits someone to help her - who can cloak her and himself in illusions. So that they can show up to the public ball, and not get arrested by the cops and Feds in the area. Something goes wrong when her buddy is a twat, and hurts one of Remi's bodyguards - and gets himself flung over backwards, with his concentration and cover blown. A Fed then tries to arrest him, so Eileen helps him. And meanwhile, Sylar goes in for the kill. All makes sense, doesn't it?"

"It just… requires the guy I screwed up to not actually be Sylar. Which would be… certainly possible if it were just a matter of appearance. Maybe Sylar has flesh-crafting now, and made himself a decoy from some other poor sod. But… the guy I screwed up seemed to not just look like Sylar, but to have multiple powers too. He had this weird orange energy rolling off him. Had been invisible. Could disappear somehow…"

"That sounds absurdly cmplicated and unweildly. Which probably means it's fucking right on or somethin'." Quinn lets out a long sigh, a hand reaching up to scratch the back of her head as she pulls away from Ygraine, looking back at the entrance to the snack room. "I hate this city sometimes. I honestly think if I didn't live where I did, an' have some of the friends I do, I would've moved back t' Boston by now. Or even abck t' Ireland."

Gently, Ygraine attempts to snare Quinn's hand in her silk-covered fingers. "I'm glad you're here", she whispers, before self-consciously clearing her throat. "One… possibility that occurred to me. Time war. We could be looking at multiple iterations of the same person. Which might make more sense than anything else, terrifying as that notion is. And could explain having some idea of who… his hit-list might be."

Quinn's posture deflates significantly, enough so that she doesn't resist Ygraine taking her hand. "Jesus fucking Christ, Ygraine, don't even joke about that,"she says in an exasperated voice. "Between teh flash forwards, the timtravelling in the fall, and these weird ass dreams people are havin', I don't want t' hear a word about a time war or anythin' like that. Besides, I don't think Wileen would be foolish enough t' help any Sylar."

"I'm not joking", murmurs Ygraine, expression apologetic. "But… it fits, at least to some extent. I… saw Sylar once before. At night in a snowstorm." On that delightful mission she went on to rescue the Engineer from the Institute. "There was someone there. Showed up part-way through it all. Seemed to know what'd be going down, and where, and when and with whom. He even IDed me in all-black at night in a bloody snowstorm. Christ, it fits. There's another fucking time war going on. And someone's got information on what Sylar'll be doing, and is trying to stop it as it happens each time."

"..who was it that identified you? Jesus with the way the government is doin' things now, an' the way the Ferry operates, it's not unreasonable for it t' have just been someone in the know, Ygraine. It doesn't have t' be a time war. Still… I didn't know you'd run int' him." Or did she? She was a little too preoccupied a the moment to remember. "That's awful. I'm glad he didn't seem t' recognise you this time."

"Someone I'd never seen before, in a snow storm at night, when I was head-to-toe in black with the visor down. Identified me and seemed to ahve some idea of roughly what my ability was - though he got the details a bit wrong", Ygraine says quietly. "And he was there specifically because Sylar was, I think. It wasn't just someone arriving a bit late to help us - the guy ran out of the woods. He didn't seem to have a car - he was out on foot at night in the woods in a snowstorm… and just happened to wind up right there and then. And knew who he'd find there. Now Eileen shows up somewhere to warn Remi of something really urgent - and Sylar shows up too. And I was specifically told to support Remi at this event by Alice Shaw. She didn't know I'd already got tickets. But she mentioned it in particular to me. Like it was known I'd play a significant role if I was there. We've got two apparent Sylars, people knowing what Sylar will do before it happens, and people being moved around to try to block him from collecting major abilities."

"Eileen knows stuff. Dunno who Alice Shaw is, but… time war isn't exactly where my mind leaps with all a' that in mind. Besides, if I weer coming from the future t' fight off Sylar, I'd pick a better fucking way of getting there than walking in the snow. Or bumbling through a party. But there's definitely somethin' more than what it looks like going on." QUinn groans, letting her shoulders sink again. "I am so sick of this shit. I'd like a few months t' go by withuot cosnspiracys, crazy time shit, or Sylar."

"Deveaux Group", Ygraine says softly, shooting Quinn a little bit of a look. "Out of the various people directly trying to manipulate my life in the past month and a bit, they're the ones seemingly trying to use me to save the world."

Sighing slightly, she shakes her head, gently squeezing Quinn's hand. "I've… wondered if I've seen that guy from that night around somewhere. But it's not as if I was getting a good view of him. And there were a lot of people who saw me breaking the laws of physics on the night of the Riots. Maybe he remembered me from that, if he was there among the refugees. But… that doesn't explain how he knew to turn up to try to help stop Sylar in the middle of nowhere, when we didn't know he'd be there. Nor how there were two Sylars there tonight, nor how Eileen seems to have known enough to warn Remi of something imminently dangerous."

Another sigh, and the Briton offers Quinn an apologetic look. "I'm with you, in the vote for some peace and quiet. Calm would be very welcome. I might even manage to get you to get that tattoo sorted out, eh?"

"Christ. This is all so fucked up," Quinn replies with a shake of her head. "I'll have t' go say somethin' t' Graeme after I finish her, pass on a happy birthday and some condolances. I guess he'll be fine, though? At least compared t' Remi. I hope she wasn't planning on dancing any time soon. Seriously. I'm going t' fucking move if this shit keeps up," Quinn reiterates halfheartedly

"You'd be welcome" - Ygraine starts warmly, instinctively seeking to provide instant reassurance… only to cut it off, and awkwardly clear her throat, though she doesn't pull away or let go. "Graeme's major trouble'll be the risk of damage. As I understand it, he's no… tougher than a normal person. He just doesn't get slowed down. So I'm scared that if he's stupid, he'll rip his injury apart because it doesn't hurt enough to stop him. But… yeah. Poor Remi'd given herself a small part. She was due to return to the stage tomorrow. So she's lost that, among everything else…."

There's a clear grimace and a sigh from Quinn as she shakes her head. "God, Sylar really is an asshole!" she exclaims, reiterating the comment she'd made before leaving the Corinthian. "I'm going to go straight from here to give her a hug. That's just awful."

Ygraine laughs softly. "There might be a queue for that. And I'm not sure if you'd be allowed in, sadly. But hopefully she'll be seeing people before too long, once the doctors are happy to give the all-clear and she's recovered from the anaesthetic…."

'Not allowed?" QUinn's grin grows wide and devilish, the Irishwoman leaning up close to Ygriane's ear. "I've snuck into a better hospital than this." Lowering back, she crosses her arms. "So, she'll get a hug if I god damn want her to!"

Ygraine's expression could probably be fairly described as 'a picture', as several emotions and responses engage in a brief war for supremacy on her features. Then she laughs, bringing her hand up to gently cup Quinn's cheek in a silk-covered touch.

"They're on guard against the Mid-Town Man", she murmurs, tone deeply fond - and perhaps still rather admiring. "Don't you dare try it. But I'll see if I can get you in for a hug, myself. Okay? I think that she might appreciate it. I'm certainly intending to give her one, when I get the chance, however inappropriate it might be for a conventional personal assistant…."

Quinn leans back, so that when she blows her raspberry, she doesn't spray spittle all over Ygraine. She's probabbly not totally successful. "NO fun!" she remarks, giggling. It's nice to have a bit of a laugh after what happened, really. "Keep me posted. I really want t' see her myself."

Giggling and a raspberry? Now? Here? Ygraine looks quite simply stunned for a moment… then finds a low laugh, and holds out her hand to Quinn. "I'll try to, I promise. I'm hoping that as her PA, and without family on the same continent, I can manage to act as a family-type contact - with her permission, of course. And that should get me a bit of leeway. But I fear that until things calm down a bit, she might be under heavy guard all the time, and that no one not on the list'll be let in. However certain I am that I can vouch for them being my wonderful Robyn. But I'll definitely try to set up the hug as soon as possible, I promise."

Can't blame Quinn for trying to not let herself get too depressed over how the night has gone. There's been enough of that lately, with everything else going on in the city. "Heavy gurad I can deal with. I mean… unless certain people are doin' the guardin' I'm… well, if FRONTLINE wanted t' aresst me they'd've done it by now. it's not like I'm an openly secretive person or anthin' . I'm sure it'll be fine, you know? BUt… yeah. Set that up for me."

"Just be careful of yourself, all right?", Ygraine requests. "Everyone's likely to be rather twitchy, to say the least. And you're the last person in the city I want to see perforated. There's been far too much of that, of late."

"I know everyone's twitchy. I don't plan t' go chargin' ni, really>" She moves back closer to Ygraine, moving to lean aginst the taller woman's shoulder. "For all m'talk I'd like t' think I'm smarter than that. I'm pretty sure I've got at least a good ten years lef tin me," she remarks with a hint of a grin. "So I don't plan on getting perforated any time soon."

Without hesitation, Ygraine accepts the renewed proximity of Quinn, slipping her arm around the woman's shoulders. A long, slow breath, then she finds a return smile, before turning her head to bury her nose in the Irishwoman's hair. "If you ever do decide to, let me know so that I can take the bullet for you, okay?", she instructs huskily. "You're far too precious to allow to fade away just yet."

"I've got t' take my own bullet eventually," QUinn remarks somewhat grimly, though she speaks in a more metaphorical sense than literal. "Which is why I'm not… exactly rushing int' danger at the moment. "I'm still… you know. But I'm trying t' avoid anythin' too dangerous. Lately it seems t' keep wantin' t' find me though. The concert, Elanie gettin' shot, this…"

"Should be glad you weren't in the Dome, then", Ygraine murmurs - though her expression is teasing rather than accusatory - "or you'd be developing a real complex about it. This city… it has spates of violence and insanity. Back when I was first getting to know you, your friends left you at the scene of a violent crime to talk to the cops. The whole place is fucked up. It just sometimes comes to the surface more than usual. It'll calm down again, for a while, and let us think that things might return to sanity. Then the madness'll return, and you'll all too probably have a chance to take a bullet. And I'm scared you will. I… I feel as if I should be telling you to get the heck out of here. But if everyone good did that…."

"I can't leave," Quinn says firmly. She almost stamps her foot to accent the point, but refrains at the last moment. "I'd like to sometimes, but… there's oo much here. I gotta stick by this city, until it hits it's absolute worse." She pushes off Ygraine's shoulder, turning to look her in the eye. "Too many people who need me, too many friends, too many people I can help." Never mind the awesome job and radio show. "Besides," se adds after a moment, lips curling back into a grin. "Where else am I going t' find an apartment with free studio use two floors up, and a music venue three floors down? I lvoe in paradise as far as 'm concerned!"

And the lover after me, Ygraine thinks - but fortunately doesn't say - in one of those musical references that Quinn seems to bring to her mind. It takes a few moments, but she manages to find a lop-sided smile, hooking her hand behind Quinn's head, cupping the back of her neck as her gaze intently searches the younger woman's face. "Do you have any idea how much I admire you?"

Quinn had intentionally avoided mention of Elaine, for specificly that reason - and because she knows if she wanted to pick up and leave, she could take Elaine woth her, almost certainly. "I have an idea," Quinn says quietly, laughing a bit - with a hint a nervousness, even. "I think you overhype me sometimes, you knwo. But I'm glad someone admires me that isn't a crazy person who wants t' have my ladybabies. So, thanks."

That last explanation gets a distinctly perplexed look, both Ygraine's brows quirking sharply upwards. "The who the what now?", she asks, not quite sure whether to laugh or not.

Quinn quirks an eyebrow of her own. "I didn't tell you?" she inquires, tilting her head. "I got the first sign that I've truly arrived as a musician the other day. I had a- I guess stalker's the only real thing t' call it, come by Studio K the other. It was… a lot of things. Endearing, because the poor woman was simply enamored with me. Uplifting because my music clearly spoke t' her. An' really feckin' creepy because she was babbling about bein' soulmates an' she knew my shoe size. But she made the mistake of settin' off a fire alarm t' get me out of a meetin' with Kristen, an' nearly ruined her poor laptop in the process. She was putoutta that buildin' an in the cop's hands rather fast."

Ygraine can't help but giggle, however scary the paranoiac might normally find a stalker to be. "Oh, the poor thing. I must say she has excellent taste, however", Quinn is assured, without a moment's hesitation. Then the Briton coughs, blushing a bit.

"What… what I was meaning to say", she resumes, squeezing very gently with the hand behind Quinn's neck, "is that I admire you because you're not like some of the rest of us. I'm an adrenaline junkie, of sorts. I've years of experience of handling pain, and stress, and things going wrong around me but finding a way through a confused tangle. You… by your own description you're a klutz. You've got the talent to take your 'job' anywhere you wanted to go. To succeed. You've got no training, no need to throw yourself into anything dangerous. But you do it because you care. And you do it without pissing away your talents, or your self."

"I think I'm determined t' prove Colette wrong," Quinn says drly, quietly. "She always told me she never wanted to involve me because she thought I had a shot at a normal life." Quin's arms cross and she leans back, rocking on the hells of her feet. "So you know what? Fuck her. I have my life, my career, and I know exactly what I'm doing. And I hope whenever she resurfaces drm where she's slipped off to, she sees how well it's going." Well, that might be an exageration, considering that FRONTLINE showed up at her concert and Quinn's been mildly paranoid of her home being watched and/or bugged. But she gets by.

Ygraine listens intently, then laughs quietly. "Damn near all of us have had shots at 'normal' lives, to a great extent. Even Colette could have had a great deal more normality than she has, if she'd opted not to repeatedly drop off the face of the planet and disappear from everyone who gives a damn about her. But… with you, it's not just that you could have tried to do all right for yourself. With a little help getting kicked into gear in the first place, you're doing it. And I honestly believe that you can go on from here to do more. But… even with that, you're still determined to take on more. To help people. To do whatever you can to make things better. So yes. Quite apart from your talent. Quite apart from your beauty. Quite apart from how seeing you laugh makes me feel. I think that you're immensely admirable, Robyn. I've desperately wanted to inspire you. But I think I might have got that the wrong way round."

Quinn raises her hands, waving that at Ygraine as if to bid her to stop. "You're going t' give me an ego," she says with a laugh and a shake of ehr head. "An' I'd rather move on before I get all full a' m'self and get a full on jinx goin'. Christ. Lord knows things are bad enough lately without that happening, so I'd like t' do the best we can t' avoid it!"

Another laugh, then Ygraine steps in, using her leverage to let her securely deliver a warm, lingering kiss to Quinn's brow. "Bravery isn't a lack of fear, nor courage a matter of doing things you already know you can handle. It's those who take on things that frighten them who deserve credit for having the guts to do so. We're all out of our depth, but you've gone from handling stage fright to stopping gunmen and engaging Sylar. And yet you still don't think you're special."

Planting another kiss on Quinn's brow, she clears her throat, and forces a chuckle, though her eyes are rather bright when she flashes a swift smile. "So, how about them Red Sox, eh?"


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